When I say "Champions League", what comes to mind?
Yesterday brought with it the return of the UEFA Champions League and the start of the group stages of the CONCACAF Champions League. The former is a massive competition often pitting clubs with worldwide followings and rosters full of well-known names against each other in cracking atmospheres; the latter is a hint of a joke of a shadow of its European cousin, pitting Mexican and small or unknown North and Central American clubs against each other in front of mediocre to flat-out pitiful crowds.
If I was able to (damn job), I'd watch every game of both. I'm just like that; I don't discriminate, and while Columbus hosting Puerto Rico in front of 5,000 (a guess, and I think I'm being generous) doesn't quite carry the same excitement as Celtic hosting Arsenal in front of 61,000, I find each enjoyable in its own way. Still, I'm very aware the the UEFA version trumps the CONCACAF one for a vast majority of fans.
But I'm also aware that without these early years of small crowds and budget-minded teams, the CCL will never come close to earning the prestige that its big brother across the Atlantic possesses. It would help, of course, if more of the teams participating from my league, MLS, would take it seriously (or better yet, had more ammunition with which to do battle), but for the time being this is just the way it is. The CCL will not become the UCL overnight. I state the obvious because it needs to be stated; while impartial fans across the US and Canada likely flipped by one or more of the UEFA Champions League games yesterday (if they were lucky enough not to be working), I'm guessing not so many took a peek at the Crew's win over the Islanders or DC United's implosion in Honduras.
I don't blame them, not really. I understand there's not much attraction to the CCL for American fans, especially when both the clubs and players give all indications that the tournament is more of a burden than a blessing. Champions League soccer for an MLS club doesn't bring the money and respect that it does for a European one; this means that more than something to be celebrated, or a trophy to win, the competition is just more games packed into an already bulging schedule, games which stretch thin rosters and lead to injuries and fatigue. In a cost benefit analysis, there's just not that much benefit.
From Steven Goff's Soccer Insider blog, the words of United's Santino Quaranta:
"You would hope that we didn't shoot ourselves in the foot by winning that game" against Firpo in the Champions League preliminary stage, a result that sent DCU through to group play and added six games (and three long road trips) to the schedule. "If we wouldn't have had that schedule, it would look pretty good for us."
Some would argue that international tournaments that reward the winner with a pass to a world event are more important than league play.
"I don't buy it," he added. "I guess it is. It's important to the club and it's important to the people here -- we're taking it seriously -- but for me, the league has to be [the priority], right? What good is it to play in this tournament if you don't make the playoffs? To me, it doesn't make sense."
But teams exist to win trophies. That's the ultimate goal of any club, no matter the level of prestige the trophies at play possess. It's unfortunate then, when MLS teams head into tournaments with a less-than-full throttle mentality; the Champions League, if for no reason than because of its name, should be a major focus. Of course, thanks to the realities of scrimp-and-save MLS, it's not.
So how can we blame the fans for not showing up or tuning in?
I won't blame you if you pass on watching any CONCACAF Champions League action. I won't get angry or self-righteous about putting our version first, or giving it the same attention that you probably do the UEFA version. I may wish that you would, but I can't possibly defend saying you should.
But hey, if you have a moment, just flip by, would ya? One day, it might actually be a big deal.
